Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The purpose of monastic precepts and how to keep them in modern times, and the six harmonies of a sangha community.

All Posts in Exploring Monastic Life 2007

Exploring Monastic Life (EML) retreatants sitting in chairs praying.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

Questions for group discussions

How to prepare for monastic ordination. Reflecting on motivation, dealing with difficulties.

View Post
A card with the words written: The 5 precepts interpreted as New Year's Resolutions
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

Precepts and vows

Monastics and lay practitioners take different levels of precepts. The benefits of taking and keeping…

View Post
Ven. Thubten Tsultrim makes offerings to her preceptor Ven. Chodron after the ordination
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The “Ratnapala Sutta”

Buddha's disciple foremost in faith who, with pure motivation, looked with wisdom at cyclic existence…

View Post
Photo of Abbey Sangha and guest sangha.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The six harmonies

The temporary goal of a monastic is to create a community that facilitates practice, so…

View Post
Words written on a board:To speak no ill, to do no harm, to practise restraint according to the fundamental precepts, to be moderate in eating, to live in seclusion, to devote oneself to higher consciousness, this is the Teaching of the Buddhas
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The purpose of monastic precepts

Precepts serve to guide monastics in a positive direction, making the mind peaceful by abandoning…

View Post
Five precepts in Japanese written on a board.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The precepts in modern culture

Keeping precepts in our present-day culture and relating to others in a healthy way.

View Post
An elderly monk receiving alms, other young monks lining at the back.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The six harmonies (continued)

Living in community with mindfulness: a long-term vision to prepare the monastery for future generations…

View Post
Young novice studying.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

Reasons for monastic precepts

The more we keep the precepts, the better we get along with other people, because…

View Post
A group photo of novices.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The hindrances to ordaining

Ordination provides a direction for spiritual yearning, something very pure inside of us.

View Post
Mass ordination of novices.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The monastic preceptor

Enter monastic life with a sincere motivation. Cultivate it again and again so it increases…

View Post